When the 'boot is on the other foot' it is difficult for our people to recognise the requirements of a 'peace strategy' as opposed to a 'conflict strategy', whereby our people have traditionally fell 'lock, stock and barrel' for the latter without thinking much about the consequences.
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As intimated earlier, we have begun scrutinising the workings of local government organs in the tehsil (subdivision) of Sehnsa, my home tehsil. Today was our maiden visit to the 'Department of Alms', described in Urdu as 'Tehsil Zakat wa Ashar Committee':
Earlier, here's the video made at home today before venturing out:
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Here's the video after our maiden discussion at the 'Department of Alms':
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'Your Rule' & 'My Rule' = 'Public Rule' = Popular Sovereignty
We have embarked on an advanced stage at Jammu Chowk in Sehnsa today:
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As with our previous public sit-in protests in Kotli - Shaheed Chowk (2022) and Dadyaal - Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Chowk (2022 to 2023) we will try and provide a photo of our presence at Sehnsa - Jammu Chowk on each day that we attend. It should be noted that this presence is very different from the previous two, on many counts. As a hint, the earlier two were on our own initiative and our presence was not only daily but at times had to extend to 24 hours, while the initiative at Sehnsa has been taken by the public in Sehnsa itself in mid August 2023 and our presence is not strictly daily. In short, the public has finally woken up in 2023 and taken veritable responsibility:
Here's an analysis by Dr Shabir Choudhary of where the Awaami Action Committee - AJK stands vis a vis the Government of AJK, followed by my response:
Action Committee V Azad Kashmir Government
Dr Shabir Choudhry
London
21 December 2023
1. I have no doubt in sincerity of the Action Committee members, who were selected to hold dialogue with the Conciliation Committee established by the Government of Azad Kashmir.
2. However, by looking at the handwritten 2 paragraph Urdu document, it appears that the Conciliation Committee has already won the battle; but the war is still to be won.
3. Sadly, the representatives of the Action Committee failed to discharge their responsibilities and protect genuine demands and fundamental rights of the suffering people of Azad Kashmir.
4. I can understand constraints of the Government selected Conciliation Committee; and I am also cognizant with the legal and constitutional (Lent Officers, Act 74, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, The Karachi Pact, Kashmir Council, GOC Murree and the secret agencies) under which they have to conduct affairs of this region controlled by Pakistan.
5. Despite all the checks, controls and restrictions their loyalty must be with the people of Azad Kashmir, and they must protect and enhance fundamental rights of the people.
6. The Action Committee should demand that there must be a national grid in Azad Kashmir, and all the electricity, around 4,000 Megawatt, produced in Azad Kashmir must go to Azad Kashmir national grid instead of the Pakistani national grid.
7. Our electricity consumption is between 350 to 400 Megawatt, and the rest WAPDA should purchase from Azad Kashmir so that we can also benefit from our resources.
8. The WAPDA or Pakistan should pay us back all the money they illegally and forcefully collected from us in the name of Neelam Jhelum project.
9. All the Dams built in Azad Kashmir must be under the control of Azad Kashmir Government.
10. All other resources of our region should also be under control of Azad Kashmir.
11. All estates belonging to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir must be controlled by the Azad Kashmir.
12. Problems of Azad Kashmiri expatriates must be resolved. They must be accorded with all necessary facilities at all the airports.
13. All citizens of Azad Kashmir must be provided travelling documents so that they can travel abroad and also visit their motherland.
14. Army must limit themselves to their barracks and vacate mingling with residential areas.
15. The current ‘agreement’ with the Conciliation Committee is inadequate and too vague, and that will strengthen the position of the Government.
16. As the agreement stands, my apprehension is that the Government with the help of the Conciliation Committee is playing games with the Action Committee; and their real agenda was and is to delay matters and take the momentum out of the Movement which has massive public support.
17. This vagueness will be interpreted by experts of the Azad Kashmir Government to benefit the authorities and Pakistan at the expense of the ordinary citizens of Azad Kashmir who are suffering because of the exploitative policies and a pro Pakistan system of governance.
18. The Action Committee must induct some experts who can help and advise them.
19. There is no mechanism to implement the final agreement. What action could be taken if the government refuses to implement some of the conditions.
END.
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My response on 22/12/2023
Have read and agree. Pressure can be put on the Awami Action Committee to broaden their consultative process with the public (especially experts in various relevant fields) and to draw tangibles from their interaction with the AJK 'government'.
That is, focus on what is possible now - to gain those usurped rights which can be delivered straight away without complexity and to press on GovtAJK to prepare process for your point about selling all electricity through a national AJK grid including a mechanism on how that national wealth will be utilised in AJK. Would it be confined to subsidised bills for our population or will the Govt share that new found income with the public?
Examples like Norway come to mind.
Legal and constitutional matters should be phased in within the engagement which should continue and not tempt the Awami Action Committee into making a 'full and final' deal.
This has to be a sustained exercise. The public should not forego their sit-in protests at any cost. They are a guarantor of regaining the territory of AJK for its people.
Otherwise, we will end up back at square one.
End..
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